A slice of the Middle Ages in the silent woodlands of Varese

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A monumental Longobard complex, today part of an archaeology park that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, immersed in nature and centred around an imposing tower with frescoed interiors.

Donated to FAI by Giulia Maria Crespi in 1977

The time-honoured Torba complex dates back to the 5th century A.D., when the Romans constructed the walls of a military outpost to counter the threat of barbarian invasion, near the village of Castelseprio. To this day, the watchtower stills stands as a testament to the original function of the castrum, carried forward by Goths, Byzantines and Longobards and subject to continuous change over time.

Having been a defensive fortress, Torba became a religious centre with the settlement there of a group of Benedictine nuns who in the 8th century commissioned the construction of the monastery and, later, the small church. For around seven centuries, the secluded female community inhabited this site, and the legacy of their prolonged stay is to be found in the hieratic frescoes in the tower, which have an almost mysterious aura about them.

In the 15th century, the Benedictines moved on, signalling the start for Torba of a period of slow decline that led to the complex being transformed into a farm and, in the early 19th century, to it losing its religious function, sliding gradually into a state of degradation that came to an end only in 1976 thanks to FAI. Today, this ancient site with its highly significant past (not by chance was it inscribed in 2011 in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites) is enjoying a new lease of life thanks also to the continuous discovery of Longobard-era relics, which constitute just one of the surprises that the monastery – and the surrounding area, rich in natural and artistic treasures – offers to those who head off the beaten track in search of interesting places.

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Visitor information

Opening hours

Torba Monastery will be open to the public until 9 December 2018 with the following opening hours:

from Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays on Mondays and Tuesdays: 10am - 5pm

Extraordinary openings:

31st January special evening opening

14th February – St. Valentine’s special evening opening

Torba Monastery re-opens to the public on Saturday 2nd March 2019, and thereafter will have the following opening hours:

from Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays on Mondays and Tuesdays: 10am - 6pm

Last entry: 30 minutes before closure.

How to get here

By car
A8 Milan-Varese Motorway (“Autostrada dei Laghi A8 Milano-Varese”): take the Solbiate Arno exit, then follow the signs for Castelseprio and Torba.

By public transport
On Trenord trains, Milan branch: get off at Tradate station, continue by bus (Giuliani & Laudi operator - line B45), head for Varese and get off at the “Torba” stop.
For the train timetables, consult the Trenord site, and for the bus timetables consult the site of the bus operators.
20% discount on the entry price for holders of a valid ITINERO or IO VIAGGIO card.
10% discount on the entry price for holders of an ordinary Trenord ticket validated on the same day as the visit, with Varese as the destination.

Parking
Internal parking for cars near the monastery.

Tickets

FAI members: free entry*

Adults: €7

Children aged 6-18: €3.50

Children aged 0-5: free entry

Students aged 25 or under: €3.50

National Trust members*, residents of the Gornate Olona local council area, those with disabilities + 1 companion: free entry

Family: €17. Allows entry at reduced rates for family groups composed of 2 adults and 2 children (6-18 years of age). Free entry for any additional children in the family group.

*with the exception of specific events, when only the additional event charge will apply.

During events the price may be subject to change

FAIr Play Family€1 on top of the cost of the ticket.

Run until you lose your breath, discover secret passageways, find the perfect place for a somersault, listen to the sounds of nature: there are a total of 60 activities on offer through the “FAIr Play Family” project, which invites children aged 5-12 to discover the interior and exterior of the property in an original, creative way, stimulating their imagination and curiosity. It is a playful, unconstrained approach that is also respectful to both art and nature, with a view to ensuring that the visitor experience is educational for the younger generation, who after all will be the future “custodians of Italy’s beauty”.

Guided Tours

Guided tours lasting one hour are available for groups at the following rates:

Guided tour in Italian: €70 (maximum 25-30 visitors)

Guided tour in a language other than Italian: €90 (maximum 25-30 visitors)

School groups and schoolchildren are welcome on Tuesdays. Prior booking essential.

Shopping

Purchases from the bookshop make a tangible contribution to supporting the work of FAI.

Useful advice

Comfortable shoes are recommended

Accessibility

Disabled visitors can access free-of-charge those FAI properties that are open to the public by showing their ANMIC (Associazione Nazionale Mutilati e Invalidi Civili) card.

Due to its nature, the property is challenging to visit by those who have difficulty walking.

The external passageways (access route to the church and the path along the walls) are covered in loose gravel. The lawn is accessible to all. The first and second floors of the tower can only be reached via the staircases – there is no lift/elevator.